Andy V. Pham

Verbal and Visuospatial Working Memory as Predictors of Children's Reading Ability

Children with reading difficulties often demonstrate weaknesses in working memory (WM). This research study explored the relation between two WM systems (verbal and visuospatial WM) and reading ability in a sample of school-aged children with a wide range of reading skills. Children (N = 157), ages 9-12, were administered measures of short-term memory, verbal WM, visuospatial WM, and reading measures (e.g., reading fluency and comprehension). Although results indicated that verbal WM was a stronger predictor in reading fluency and comprehension, visuospatial WM also significantly predicted reading skills, but provided more unique variance in reading comprehension than reading fluency. These findings suggest that visuospatial WM may play a significant role in higher level reading processes, particularly in reading comprehension, than previously thought.

Differentiating Behavioral Ratings of Inattention, Impulsivity, and Hyperactivity in Children: Effects on Reading Achievement

Objective: The purpose of the study is to differentiate between behaviors of ADHD: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity and how each domain contributes to reading achievement in elementary school-aged children. Method: Data from 131 children were collected, which include performance from reading fluency and comprehension measures as well as parent and teacher ratings of ADHD behaviors based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV) criteria. Results: Correlation and regression analyses revealed that inattentive behaviors were strongly linked to reading fluency and comprehension. Hyperactivity and impulsive behaviors did not predict reading achievement. A significant two-way interaction was found only for gender and inattention with reading comprehension as the outcome. Conclusion: Many of the behaviors related to inattention strongly predicted reading fluency, reading comprehension, and overall reading ability. Boys who exhibited inattentive behaviors performed more poorly on reading comprehension measures than girls with inattentive behaviors.

Parent–Child Conflict, Acculturation Gap, Acculturative Stress, and Behavior Problems in Arab American Adolescents:

The current study examined how acculturation gap, acculturative stress, parent–child conflict, and behavior problems are related in a sample of Arab American adolescents. Seventy-six parent–child dyads completed questionnaires assessing acculturation, parent–child conflict, and behavior problems. Parents and adolescents reported similar levels of acculturation on American mainstream orientation as well as on Arab heritage orientation. Regression analyses showed that the acculturation gap between parents and children in heritage cultural orientation significantly predicted adolescent behavior problems. Mediation analyses revealed that adolescent-reported parent–child conflict partially mediated the relation between acculturative stress and behavior problems. Parent-reported parent–child conflict partially mediated the relation between the acculturation gap and behavior problems. Current findings highlight the importance of examining adolescents’ and parents’ acculturation as well as the underpinnings of parent–child conflict in Arab American families.

Specific Learning Disorders and ADHD: Current Issues in Diagnosis Across Clinical and Educational Settings

With the recent changes in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), this article provides a comprehensive review of two high-incidence disorders most commonly seen in childhood and adolescence: specific learning disorder (SLD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Updates regarding comorbidity, shared neuropsychological factors, and reasons for the changes in diagnostic criteria are addressed. Although the revisions in the DSM-5 may allow for better diagnostic sensitivity based on the symptomology, specifiers, and the clinical features outlined, there continues to be challenges in operationalizing SLD and implementing consistent assessment practices among mental health professionals particularly when considering the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which provides guidelines in the evaluation of SLD in school settings. Clinical and educational assessment implications are discussed with special attention to develop a collaborative approach between psychiatrists, psychologists, and educators when providing service delivery for children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disabilities.

Acculturation and Sociocultural Factors in Children’s Mental Health Services: Applying Multicultural Consultation Frameworks

Nearly one in four children in the United States lives with at least one immigrant parent, and 21% of the U.S. population speak a language other than English at home (Zong & Batalova, 2015). By 2020, more than half of U.S. children will belong to ethnic minority groups (Colby & Ortman, 2015). The increasing cultural and linguistic diversity in our society is often perceived as a challenge for psychologists and other mental health providers who work with immigrant families with unique needs. One of the major challenges is the cultural mismatch between the clients and providers, since the providers also carry cultural and social attitudes that may influence their own actions and perceptions of immigrants. Indeed, the current sociopolitical climate in the United States has led to increased discourse and debate related to the topic of immigration. In addition, many families experience risk factors (e.g., poverty, prejudice, less educational attainment, limited English proficiency) that often act as barriers for them to access or benefit from existing mental health supports and services for children (e.g., Eiraldi, Mazzuca, Clarke, & Power, 2006). This interplay of sociocultural factors has been argued to contribute to the underutilization of children’s mental health services among immigrant populations (American Psychological Association [APA], 2013). Incidentally, much of what is known about the implementation and effectiveness of evidence-based interventions with immigrants has been extrapolated from research on other/nonimmigrant ethnic minorities (Miranda et al., 2005), and a limited number of studies have discussed consultation services with immigrant or refugee families. Thus, the purpose of this special issue is to bring attention to empirical research and contemporary models of consultation when working with these populations. Research has highlighted the disparate mental health needs and educational performance among immigrant youth compared to other youth (Suarez-Orozco, Gaytan, Bang, Pakes, & Rhodes, 2010). Although many first-generation immigrants encounter a wide range of acculturative stressors, they often do better than their counterparts who remain in the country of origin and even second-

Social Networking Practices in School Psychology: Have Moral Panic Concerns Been Overstated?

ABSTRACT The almost ubiquitous use of Facebook and other social networking sites (SNSs) by adults in the United States raises important practice considerations for school psychologists. This study examined the SNS practices of school psychologists, graduate trainers, and graduate students to explore (a) SNS use training experiences for school professionals, (b) personal and work-related social networking practices, (c) concerns about potential damage related to SNS use, and (d) beliefs regarding the use of SNSs in professional and preprofessional evaluations. Findings suggest that problematic behaviors on SNSs are more the exception than the norm among these groups. These results are discussed in the context of the literature on SNS practices in professional psychology and moral panic. Practice implications and recommendations are provided.

Cognitive Abilities in Bilinguals in L1 and L2

The proportion of individuals who speak more than one language in the United States has significantly increased. Although there are apparent cultural benefits for children who are bilingual, providing instruction and proper evaluation of bilinguals’ cognitive abilities comes with significant challenges. These challenges are exacerbated by the limited research in this area and the known impact speaking two languages has on individuals’ cognitive abilities. In this chapter, the authors highlight the challenges of conducting cognitive assessments with bilinguals. The authors also propose a culturally and linguistically responsive framework for minimizing bias in the assessment of cognitive abilities of bilinguals. The proposed framework is composed of four steps that encourages practitioners to: (1) assess their client’s behavioral and linguistic acculturation; (2) assess their clients’ verbal language abilities in both languages; (3) determine potential issues with comparing their clients’ cognitive abilities with the normative samples of available tests; and (4) select most appropriate test given the client’s sociocultural/behavioral background, language abilities, and appropriateness of available tests. Implications for clinical practice are also discussed.

Acculturation and Help-Seeking Behavior in Consultation: A Sociocultural Framework for Mental Health Service

ABSTRACT Many immigrant and ethnic minority families demonstrate reluctance to pursue or utilize mental health services in community-based and clinical settings, which often leads to poorer quality of care for children and greater likelihood of early termination. Cultural variations in help-seeking behavior and acculturation are likely to influence consultation participation and process for mental health services. Thus, examining sociocultural context of the consultants, consultees, and clients is critical to the success of multicultural consultation and outcomes. The purpose of the article is to (a) address processes and barriers when engaging in multicultural consultation in community-based and clinical settings, (b) outline the sociocultural context in relation to parent help-seeking behavior, and (c) discuss the effect of acculturation and related sociocultural factors in the participation and process of consultation.